Washing-machine



J. H. VERITY. W AAAAAAAAAAAA E.

No. 591,437. Patented Oct. 12,1897.

UNITED I STATES.

PATENT GFFICE.

JAMES H. VERITY, OF PORTLAND, MICHIGAN.

WASHING-:MACHINE.

SIIE'EGIIEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,437, dated October 12, 1897. Application filed April 21,1897. senate. 633,096. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES H. VERITY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, county of Ionia, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Washing-Machines; and I declare the following tobe a full, clear, andexact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to washing-machines, and has for its object an improvement in that class of machines in which the clothes to .be cleansed are subjected to a pounding,

' rolling, and squeezing process.

In the drawings,'Figure 1 shows the machine in perspective. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 3 is a detail of the end grating against which the clothes are squeezed. Fig. 4 is a detail of the cross-head or pounder.

1 indicates the bottom of the box or receptacle which comprises'the outer casing of the machine. The side walls are vertical, and the bottom is, throughout a portion of its length at least, preferably slightly angled to the horizontal, and the deepest part of it is at the end where the grating is located and against which the cross-head is pushed. The top covering of the box is made in several parts, all of which are removable and some of which are generally removed when the machine is in use and others of which are generally kept in place when the machine is in use. The side walls 1 and 1 are rabbeted on their upper edge and the cover-pieces'2 2 2* 2 rest on the ledge which terminates the end wall of the rabbet. The pieces 2 and 2 are hinged together and are generally taken out and laid to one side when the machine is in use, although they may be left in position, if desired.

. The piece 2 rests on the ends of the castings 3 and 3 and is generally left in place when the machine is in use. The piece 2 rests in the rabbets and may be left in position, as shown in Fig. 1, or may be moved along the rabbetnearer to the handles when it is desired to remove clothing from the interior of the machine.

The handles or actuating mechanism 4* are bent levers. That part of each lever which lies outside of the machineis preferably made of wood. That part which lies inside of the machine (having, however, a short external extension that is bolted to the wooden handle) is preferably made of metal, an'd the compound handle produced of the two pieces of wood iand 4 and the two pieces of metal 5 and 5 is bent so that when the external part lies horizontal or parallel with the cover the internal part extends downward into the body of the machine. At the inner ends of the bent levers 5 5 are two links, one of which, 6, is seen in Fig. 2. These links are hinged to the ends of the levers and are hinged to earpieces 7 on the back of the crosshead 8.

On each of the vertical side walls within the machine are guideways, one of which, 9, is seen in Fig. 2, and'these guideways receive slide-blocks 10 on the ends of the cross-head 8. The cross-head 8 reciprocates under the actuating movement of the lever-handles and thelink, and always carries its face at the same angle at the bottom. Its front face, that that the upper end leans toward the cross-- head 8. This grating 11 of bars is spaced from the end of the tub by two horizontal pieces 12 and 12 and by two vertical pieces 13 and 13 and by two other horizontal pieces which are made of material that will spring somewhat. These two spring-pieces, preferably wooden bars 14 and 14, are spaced at their middle point from the end of the tub by an upright 15. When strongly pressed backward by the action of the cross-head 8 and an interposed mass of clothing, the whole structure yields somewhat because of the springs 14 and 14. and recovers itself as soon as the pressure is taken away, and this reciprocating or vibratory motion tends to throw out any portions of clothing that may have caught or become wedged between the upright bars of the grating. There is also across the grating a metallic spring-bail 16, that under the actuating force of a mass of clothes is driven backagainst the grating, but immediately recovers itself and forces the mass of clothing away from the grating as soon as permitted to do so by the removal of the pressure. Back of the cross-head is a receptacle placed on the bottom of the tub and adapted to hold temporarily, clothing not yet introduced into that part of the tub which is between the crosshead and the grating. Clothing placed temporarily in this receptacle 17 becomes wet and soaked and is in position to be easily reached when it is desired to renew the charge in the cleansing part of the tub. The form of lever and link employed to actuate the cross-head is one which is adapted to produce a quick movement of the cross-head during the first part of its stroke and a slower but exceedingly strong movement at the closing part of its stroke, and therefore the clothing at the last part of the stroke of the pounder is compressed and squeezed with extremely great pressure, and the pressure may be regulated to accord with the quantity of clothing placed in it by shifting the fulcrum of the actuatinglever from one to the other of the niches 8 3. On the end of the tub are standards 19 19, to which may be attached the ordinary wringer, and a spigot and plug 20 permits the escape of the liquid contents whenever it is desired to clean out the tub.

The operation of the machine will be readil y understood from the description; but one peculiarity of its action is that the mass of clothing contained between the cross-head and the grating is not only pushed forward and squeezed with each forward movement of the cross-head, but at each backward movement of the cross-head,when they are released, they fall over to a position different from that which they previously occupied and are in different positions at the next forward movement, so that the operation of the machine is such as to constantly turn the clothes over and over as well as to squeeze and force the water through them and squeeze out from them almost all of the water contained in the mass at each reciprocation of the plunger.

What I claim is- 1. In a washing-machine in combination with a reciprocating cross-head, a verticallydisposed grating adapted to receive the forward thrust of the clothing, a spring located in front of the grating and adapted to engage the mass of clothing and throw the top part thereof away from the grating whereby under successive strokes of the cross-head the mass of the clothes is rolled over and over, substantially as described.

2. In a washing-machine, a reciprocating cross-head, a grating adapted to receive the thrust of the cross-head, a spring-bail located in front of said grating and adapted to coact with the cross-head to roll the mass of clothes, and a spring mechanism located at the rear of the grating, substantially as described.

3. In a washing-machine in combination with a reciprocating cross-head or pounder, a system of links and levers adapted to give to the cross-head a quick initial movement and a strong terminal movement, a spring-actuated grating adapted to receive the thrust of the cross-head, a spring located in front of the grating and adapted to coact with the cross-head to roll the clothes over and over, substantially as described.

4. In a Washing-machine, the combination of a tub provided with guiding-tracks at its sides, a lever-actuated cross-head adapted to be used as a pounder or squeezer and provided with slides adapted to travel in said guides, a spring-supported grating and a spring-bail located in front of said grating and adapted to coact with the cross-head to turn the mass of clothes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES II. "ERI'IY.

lVitnesses:

CHARLES F. BURTON, MARION A. Rnnvn. 

